Accelerating Indonesian COVID-19 vaccination rollout: a critical task amid the second wave

Abstract

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has been spreading in every part of the world, putting nations at risk with its pandemic status, including Indonesia. COVID-19 vaccine has been deemed as one of the most effective interventions to date for mitigating the spread and mortality from COVID-19. Responding to the situation, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has allocated the means necessary to procure and distribute COVID-19 vaccines; placing into consideration the unique context of the country, recently categorized as a middle-income country and archipelagic with a population over 270 million. This article aims to present the challenges associated with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination as well as recommendations to mitigate them, to ensure a timely and effective COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia.

Health Beliefs and Socioeconomic Determinants of COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Acceptance: An Indonesian Cross-Sectional Study

“…These social approaches should not neglect the build-up of the health infrastructure necessary for vaccination, however. There is an issue of the supply of mRNA and viral vector vaccines, as they were mostly received through COVAX scheme, whereas inactivated virus vaccines have been able to be produced domestically [ 49 ]. This supply imbalance itself plays a role in the heterologous booster policy.…”

“…The more-abundant inactivated virus vaccines were prioritized for the first and second doses as the government attempted to catch up with regional vaccine coverage disparities. However, the policy of using mRNA and viral vector vaccines puts a huge strain on the Indonesian cold chain capacity for the booster campaign, which was severely inadequate for Indonesia’s large and diverse geography [ 49 ]. These issues need to be addressed as the booster campaign pushes further into more rural areas.…”

Parents’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Childhood Vaccination During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

“…The coverage of COVID-19 vaccination was reported to be 64.54% and 42.84% for the first and second doses, respectively. 11 , 12 There are some factors that may influence the slow progress of COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia, such as vaccine hesitancy related to side effect of vaccine and vaccine manufacturer, anti-vaccine movement, and inadequate cold-chain system to deliver the vaccines. 11 , 13 , 14 Several previous studies mentioned that willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 was associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine itself.…”

“… 11 , 12 There are some factors that may influence the slow progress of COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia, such as vaccine hesitancy related to side effect of vaccine and vaccine manufacturer, anti-vaccine movement, and inadequate cold-chain system to deliver the vaccines. 11 , 13 , 14 Several previous studies mentioned that willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 was associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine itself. 15 , 16 A similar situation may occur in Indonesia when COVID-19 vaccine is administered for 6-11 years old children in late 2021 or early 2022.…”

COVID-19 Risk Management and Stakeholder Action Strategies: Conceptual Frameworks for Community Resilience in the Context of Indonesia

“…Community confidence and trust in leaders, as well as leaders’ competence in risk and disaster management can reduce the negative impact of disasters [ 84 , 85 , 86 ]. Anti-vaccination sentiments have fueled concerns about vaccine safety, ineffectiveness, and side effects and about noncompliance with Islamic law (Halal) or non-Halal compounds [ 87 ]. The role of federal, provincial, and district governments, as well as the media in convincing the public of the benefits and safety of vaccines, along with procuring and delivering them in an efficient and equitable way, is critical for the COVID-19 crisis.…”